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OVERCOAT begins with the premise that the design of a garment should be generated by its underlying structure. Guided by this approach, the brand attempts to divorce creative process from associations with intuition and emotion. Instead, founder and lead designer Ryuhei Oomaru applies procedural approach, which realizes concepts through his background in all phases of fashion production, from design to patternmaking to sewing.

Oomaru is a graduate of Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo. After working for a prominent Japanese fashion label for several years, he moved to New York in 2008 and founded Oomaru Seisakusho 2, Inc. Seisakusho is the Japanese word for workshop, and it is where he and his team has partnered with international creators who sought to realize their products with the highest level of craft and care.

Oomaru Seisakusho 2, Inc. was the structure upon which Oomaru established OVERCOAT in 2016. The label’s name derives directly from the fact that its first garments were overcoats. This unembellished relationship between name and product reflects Oomaru’s method of taking inspiration from everyday objects and experiences. OVERCOAT’s original collection was comprised of art clothing inspired by the theme “wearing New York.” This concept lead to Oomaru’s choice to create the first overcoats out of the same materials used in the storefront awnings that were inspired by his walks through New York City. By borrowing from the awning makers craft and incorporating it into his creations, Oomaru recontextualizes and updates it. In subsequent collections, OVERCOAT has created art clothing as well as pieces for everyday wear, and continues to find ways to marry tradition with innovation.